Jimi Hendrix is a better, more important guitarist and songwriter compared to Stevie Ray Vaughn - but SRV’s version of Voodoo Chile is better to my ear. When he does the wah intro, SRV just kills…
Marvel Comics’ “The Punisher” is better than Don Pendleton’s “The Executioner.”
Robert W. Chambers’ “The Hidden Children” covers much of the same territory as James Fennimore Cooper’s “The Last of the Mohicans” – including a few of the same characters! – but is much, much, much, much better. (Mark Twain had Cooper’s number.)
ETA: Walter Jon Williams’ “Drake Maijstral” novels are better than Alexei Panshin’s “Anthony Villiers” novels – but both are so very, very good, you should read both series – and re-read them a year later.
I like The Lion King better than The Jungle Emperor.
I like Antz better than A Bug’s Life. And I like both better than Hoppity Goes to Town.
I like the X-Men better than the Doom Patrol.
I like Flashman better than Tom Brown’s School Days.
I like the 1977 version of The Four Feathers better than the 1939 version.
Panshin’s “Villiers” novels are lighter and looser, but have a goofy kind of charm that I absolutely adore. If you like Maijstral, you’ll likely admire Villiers. (Plug plug plug!)
I’ve talked to Williams, and he acknowledges the debt to Panshin…and also accepts the opinion that his books are better. He said, alas, that they didn’t make much money for him; they’re among his worst-selling books. In fact, the poor sales helped bring down sales of some of his other books! And he said they were harder to write than any other of his books: comedy is tough!
The whole Kimba series, or just the movie version? If you take in the whole Kimba series, does your opinion shift in its favor?
In my opinion, The Lion King loses out because of its lack of dignity. (Not to say that Kimba doesn’t have undignified moments!) Simba doesn’t seem to use his brains, and certainly not his heart. He’s just a Li’l Abner buffoon who wins because he grew up big and strong. All that was missing was the can of spinach.
Janis Joplin’s version of “Me and Bobby McGee” is better than Kris Kristofferson’s.
Them’s version of “Richard Corrie” is better than *Simon and Garfunkel’*s.
Three’s Company is better than Man About the House. (I think almost uniquely for American copies of British sitcoms, and almost entirely due to John Ritter’s talents as a farceur. Apart from him, Man About the House was better, and even had cuter babes, almost uniquely for British sitcom as compared to an American one.)
While I admit I do like a lot of the old music, I will agree that I like the heavy metal bands a touch more. Dylan can write a hell of a song but his rur rur rur singing pattern drives me nuts - and Guthrie can also write a hell of a song, but I tend to prefer the modern covers.
[I actually have a serious amount of Moe Asche’s Folkways music on my computer, I picked up much of it from emusic subscription. I bought some from the Smithsonian as they have the copyrights and own the label as well. Please consider purchasing your folkways directly from the Smithsonian, they are well worth supporting.]
